U.S. Committee for a Free Lebanon

The U.S. Committee for a Free Lebanon (USCFL) describes itself as "America's Pro-Lebanon Lobby." The group does have a number of board members and advisers associated with neoconservatism. Founded on July 4, 1997 by New York financier Ziad Abdelnour, along with 56 other prominent Lebanese American activists and other financiers, "to educate the American public as to Lebanon's strategic and moral significance as an ally of the United States and an outpost of Western values in the Middle East." It states that it is not connected with any foreign entity, or any Lebanese political party, but is supported by its membership.

"We are neither right wing nor left wing. We are neither Republicans nor Democrats. We are neither neo-cons nor doves. We are just the ultimate lobbyists and powerbrokers for a Free and Democratic Lebanon; Syria; Iraq and every other country in the Middle East out there. Period. We are here to promote BOTH American and Arab interests and make it a “win-win” for both. We only advocate the use of force if and when needed and only as a last resort for the simple reason that the only language some terrorists out there understand is the use of force."

Mission statement

"The United States Committee for a Free Lebanon holds that the United States has vital interests in the Middle East and sees the region, with its profusion of dictatorships, radical ideologies, existential conflicts, border disagreements, political violence, as a major source of problems for the Free World...Lebanon is a pluralistic country with people of many religions, ethnicities and beliefs. In recognition of this reality, the USCFL advocates only solutions for Lebanon upon which genuine consensus can be built, irrespective of race, creed, religion or ethnicity. In other words, the USCFL believes that in order to find a basis for peace, prosperity and security in Lebanon, we must begin by emphasizing and focusing on issues upon which all Lebanese of good will, Druze, Muslim and Christian, can agree."

Sponsored studies

In 2000, David Wurmser worked on a strategy document published by Daniel Pipes' Middle East Forum and Ziad Abdelnour's U.S. Committee for a Free Lebanon that advocated a wider U.S. role in Lebanon, by forcing Syria to get out of Lebanon and to destroy alleged weapons of mass destruction. It called for confrontation rather than engagement. Signers included Elliott Abrams, Douglas Feith, Michael Rubin, Paula Dobriansky, Richard Perle, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Michael Ledeen, and Frank Gaffney, Jr..